“Potential” is the key word to describe a forlorn building in upstate New York. Whether it can deliver on that potential will be in the hands of the new owner.

“It was built as a post office in 1975, and it housed the post office until a couple of years ago, when the post office changed locations,” explains listing agent Peter Cantine.

The zoning for the property in Port Ewen is residential, but an exception was made for the post office in the ’70s. Today, Cantine says, the building could house a home-based business, but it must be residentially occupied.

Located on a large corner lot, the former post office landed on the market last month for $180,000 and an offer is already in place.

Inside, the 1,456-square-foot space is raw and wide open with no interior walls. The possibilities for the space captured the imagination of buyers.

“There has been a good amount of interest and showings,” Cantine says. “This price point made it approachable for people.”

It’s currently configured with two toilet areas—one pink and one blue—which postal staff and customers used. Beyond those two commodes, there isn’t much else inside except high ceilings and block walls. The building is being sold as is.

“The buyers that have expressed interest in it, including the one that submitted an offer for it, will keep the structure and renovate it, perhaps adding a story above,” says Cantine.

A USPS media release from April 27, 2018, says the post office moved from this location because the roof began leaking, but the water didn’t damage any mail. The town was without its own post office for about five months until operations were able to move to a new location.

The listing notes that the structure now has a new roof.

The listing included some artist renderings of what the space could look like with a kitchen and dining, living, and sleeping spaces, even with an open floor plan.

The building has a new HVAC system and offers enough support for a second story.

What’s currently a parking lot could be transformed into a large backyard.

Cantine says the location in Ulster County close to the Hudson River is the main reason for the property’s success.

“We’re the magic two hours from New York City. We’ve always been a weekend and vacation home area where the Hudson Valley meets the Catskill mountain range,” he continues. “The reason we live here is because we feel like we have it all. We have natural beauty. We have world-class recreational resources, plus we have arts, culture, and cuisine.”

Now the wider world is catching on to what this area has to offer, he says.

“We’ve been discovered by the outside world, and this region has been called the hottest real estate market in the country,” he says. “People have been priced out of the Hamptons, and we’re the new bull’s-eye.”

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